Berlin, March 26, (dpa/GNA) – A new requirement for people arriving at German airports to have submitted to coronavirus testing has been postponed from Sunday to Tuesday, Health Minister Jens Spahn said on Friday.
The postponement would give airlines and individuals more time to prepare, Spahn said.
Germany is attempting to contain a severe third wave of coronavirus infections that it being driven mainly by more transmissible variants of the disease.
Chancellor Angela Merkel and the leaders of the country’s 16 states had previously decided that testing before departure would at some point become an entry requirement for flights to Germany, but the timeframe was unclear until now.
Currently only travellers coming from countries with particularly high infection rates must get tested before boarding.
Flight crews will not be affected by the new requirement, the ministry said. Travellers will have to bear the costs of the tests themselves.
GNA